21 August 2009

Tea Time

Hip-hip-hooray, it's Friday!This week on my blog, I suggested some ideas on how to take drinking water to the next level. Just by adding some fresh summer fruit, we can easily turn an everyday beverage from blah to Tada!.

A cold drink will always be appreciated on a sweltering day but something hot ain't bad at all. I'm not talking about coffee. I'm talking about mint tea! Moroccan Mint Tea to be exact.

The whole Moroccan tea ceremony is a spectacle! Tea is served in a beautiful silver teapot and small tea glasses with intricate, colorful designs.The tea is poured high (this aerates the tea for better flavor) and sugar is added to the tea -- a sweet and soothing drink that warms the belly. This is Morocco's national drink and this will be served to you inside a home, a restaurant and at the souks.

Moroccan Mint Tea served withalmond macaroonsas a snack or at the end of a meal.

Here's an easy way to prepare mint tea right in your kitchen (recipe from The Food of Morocco cookbook):

Rinse a 1 litre (36 fl oz/4 cup) teapot with boiling water, add the tea and a little boiling water, swirl briefly, let it settle, then carefully pour out the water to remove any tea dust. Half-fill pot with boiling water. Take a handful of the spearmint sprigs, crush lightly in the hand and add to the pot. Add more crushed mint sprigs until the pot is three-quarters full. Add the sugar and fill the pot with boiling water. Let the tea brew for three minutes.

Pour out a glass of tea and pour back into the pot. Repeat, twice more to mix the tea and to dissolve the sugar. Serve the tea in tea glasses, pouring it from a height to aerate the tea. Add a mint sprig (not crushed) to each glass.

21 comments:

Mmmm mint tea was one of my favorite things when I went to Morocco, I even started growing my own mint for tea-making-purposes! I can never get it to taste the same though - looking forward to trying your recipe, hope it's better than mine!

All so very true! I never liked tea until I came to Morocco and I never tire of the mint tea! I will say, however, that most of my friends serve it with much more sugar, which I never mind! I was terrified to make tea for my Moroccan friends because I knew they would know just how poorly I did. After watching it being made countless times I finally did it and no one seemed to complain! Whew!Best wishes from Morocco!

Thank you so very much for leaving a comment on my blog...I adore your blog's name and this post is wonderful...I have never been to Morocco but my husband has! I adore tea so this is something I would love to try...but I want the guy that serves it to do all his fancy pouring!!! Off to read some more of your past posts! Happy weekend to you!

Hi...I love moroccan mint tea.Classic Moroccan Mint Tea is made by steeping green tea with spearmint leaves. Many families serve it more than once a day.Moroccan tea pots vary in size, but a small pot typically holds about a half liter (six glasses) of tea, while a larger pot holds approximately a liter (12 glasses).